


The Inheritance

by out_of_nowhere



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, M/M, Werewolf Mates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-29
Packaged: 2021-01-02 23:48:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21169889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/out_of_nowhere/pseuds/out_of_nowhere
Summary: Rhett doesn't know he's a werewolf and ends up biting Link.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Since ao3 refuses to post this properly, I'm reposting and will be deleting the other post of this.

Three days. Just three more days and he'd finally be 18. He'd have to finish off the school year, of course, but then he could get out of his sticky southern town and change the world! 

His birthday was on a school night this year, so his family had taken him and his best friend Link into Raleigh for laser tag, go kart riding, and carnival rides the Sunday before. It was kinda lame, but Rhett knew his parents loved him and tried their best to be cool, so he had done his best to have fun. It had been nice that his older brother Cole had come home for the weekend to celebrate. Rhett had missed his brother since he had gone off to college. 

Once home, as soon as his dad put the car in park in their driveway, Rhett and Link lept out and ran into the house to check the answering machine. As expected, there was a message from Rhett's basketball buddy Marc saying he and their group of friends were meeting at the Y for basketball at 7. Rhett looked at his watch. 7:15, but he only lived a five minute bike ride away. He ran up to his room, quickly changed into basketball shorts and a tshirt, ran back down and out the door calling to his mom, "Going to the Y to play basketball! Be back in a couple hours!"

"10 o'clock, mister!" his mother called back. "You may be almost 18, but you still have school tomorrow!"

"Ok, ok," he yelled over his shoulder as he and Link grabbed their bikes and pedaled down the driveway and toward the gym. 

-

The moon was starting to come out as he rode into the parking lot. He bent down to lock up his bike and a drop of blood fell from his nose, landing by his feet.  _ That's odd _ , he thought, _ I haven't had a nosebleed in like five years _ . As he went into the building he didn't notice any more blood, so he shrugged it off. 

"Hey, guys! Sorry I'm late. My mom made us stop for ice cream cake on the way back."

"Suuure," Marc sneered, "your mom 'made' you." 

Rhett laughed, "Okay, okay. She didn't exactly twist my arm, but it was her idea to stop."

Marc laughed. "Sure man, whatever. 3 against 3?"

The boys picked their teams and began playing. 

-

At a quarter of 10, the boys loaded up into their respective cars and Rhett unlocked his and Link's bikes. "You sure you don't want a ride home?" his buddy Frank asked. "Plenty of room in the back of the wagon for your bike."

"Nah," Rhett replied, "looks like a full moon tonight, so I'll have plenty of light to get home."

"Alright, be careful, dude." Frank waved and drove off.

Link squinted at Rhett. "Did you get hit in the face during the game? Looks like you got a little blood there."

Rhett frowned and wiped his nose, pulling back a blood smear on his wrist. "Huh, I guess so." He shrugged. "Didn't hurt and it's not much. I'm sure I'll live until I make it home."

Link smiled, "Yeah, probably. Anyway, hope you had a good early birthday. I'm glad your parents let me come with you guys."

Rhett laughed. "They had to. They know we're joined at the hip."

Link gave a small grin. "Yeah, I guess so."

Rhett clapped his hand on Link's shoulder. "Still, I'm glad you came. It's not a birthday, early or otherwise, without you there."

Link blushed and knocked the kickstand on his bike. "Well, uh. See you in school tomorrow. I better get home. Curfew is in a few minutes."

Rhett gave his shoulder one small squeeze and let go. "Yeah, you're right. We better get going. See ya tomorrow!"

Link threw a lopsided grin at Rhett as he headed towards his house. 

Rhett got on his bike and started the ride home. Clouds that had been out earlier had dissipated and the moon was shining in full force. As he pedaled along, he noticed his nose dripping more and more. _That's so weird_, he thought, and pedaled faster. Another 100 yards and he began to feel lightheaded. Rhett stopped and blinked a couple times. "Am I losing that much blood?" he mumbled to himself, wiping his nose again. He knew there weren't any pay phones along the route home, so he figured he better just hurry and get there as soon as possible. 

He picked up pedaling again, his skin now crawling, like a thousand spiders were crawling all over him. He was trying hard not to freak out. What was coming over him? Why did he suddenly feel so...odd? 

He finally made it home, threw his bike in the garage, and ran up to his room. "Home, mom. Going to shower and head to bed. Long day, I'm tired." 

His mom looked up from her sewing to watch the tall, gangly teenager streak through the living room and up the stairs. "Ok, sweet dreams. Happy birthday!"

Rhett made it to what was now "his" bathroom since his brother had moved out, and turned on the hot water. Stripping down, he glanced at himself in the mirror and was taken aback. 

His normally dirty blonde hair had gotten considerably darker. The smattering of hair on his chest was almost jet black and definitely thicker than it had been this morning. He also had much more than his usual 5 o'clock shadow of hair growing on his face. 

At least the tingling had stopped and his nose didn't appear to be bleeding anymore. Rhett hopped in the shower, cleaned himself off and then just stood under the jet until the water began to turn cold. 

-

The next morning when Rhett got up for school he felt perfectly normal and his hair had returned to his normal dark blonde. He raised his eyes in thoughtful curiosity. By the time he was leaving the house and thinking about his pre-cal test later that day, he had already written off the strange events of the previous night as a weird dream. 

==========================

By Christmas, Rhett knew what was happening. His first true shift had been the full moon right after Halloween. He went outside to take out the trash. As soon as the moonlight hit him, his skin got all tingly and he felt like he was catching on fire from the inside out. 

He fell to the ground on all fours, muscles contracting and relaxing against his will. When the pain stopped and he caught his breath, he was covered by fur, had four paws, a tail, and a snout. He was a werewolf. 

At that point his shifting was directly related to contact with moonlight. In the couple full moons since then, Rhett felt he was getting a slight handle on his shifts. With practice he was starting to be able to hold back and only get covered with fur but still keep his senses and other human attributes, even in direct moonlight. 

He could also kind of start shifting outside of the full moon as well. The problem was that it was mostly unintentional, happening when he got overly emotional. Usually that wouldn't be a problem, as he was a typically level headed guy. Lately, though? Not so much. 

Especially when it came to Link. Rhett had always been protective of Link. Had even punched a kid once for picking on him back in elementary school. Now, most people liked Link, but Rhett had an even stronger need to protect him. Especially from the guys in school he could smell were werewolves. 

Rhett had decided it came down to him being an alpha, something he was surprised to learn when he got his first knot while masturbating one day, and Link was his best and oldest friend. Like family. Werewolves were pack animals and Link was family. Simple as that. 

Rhett was hesitant to tell his parents, though. He knew he was a natural werewolf, as he was an alpha and hadn't been bitten. But since they had never come to him, he wondered if they even knew they were carriers. His dad especially, well he wasn't exactly speciest against them, but it was obvious to Rhett that he only said what he was supposed to. Only tolerated werewolves because of societal pressures. 

So he kept his secret. 

He didn't know why he hadn't told Link yet. They had never had a secret between them. He knew Link would be excited for him. Maybe even impressed if he was lucky, which filled Rhett with a weird, warm feeling he couldn't identify. 

He'd tell Link, he would. But after he could fully control his shiftings. Properly impress Link. 

============================

Rhett was getting frustrated. He just couldn't seem to get it. He could hold back a shift now, but he was pretty sure he should be able to shift  _ to _ his wolf form at will, too. 

Three to four days before and after a full moon he could do it. Outside of that, the best he could do was get hairy and feel his fangs and claws, but only slightly. 

He took a deep breath. He could do this. 

============================

Graduation was in a few weeks and Rhett still hadn't told him. He could basically shift at will now, the pain of shifting diminished to almost nothing now that he could control it. But now so much time had passed, it seemed like it would be weird to bring it up now. Maybe once they were living together at N.C. State.


	2. Chapter 2

The last box was unloaded. This was it. Classes started in a few days and they were standing in their dorm room. Rhett was excited and nervous. He had noticed a few other alphas in their building and it was kicking his protection into overdrive. He also hadn't told Link that he was a werewolf yet.

Link had noticed a few changes, of course. Like how he  _ still _ hadn't quit growing. And how flustered Rhett seemed to get when new people had been coming in and out of the dorm the last couple days to introduce themselves as they unpacked. 

The worst reaction had been with an alpha that morning. Rhett had tensed up when he smelled him get close. The other tall and muscular freshman had knocked on the open door and introduced himself as Kyle to Link, who had been standing closer to the door. In a flash Rhett was by Link's side, trying not to hover but still staring at Kyle with a menacing glare.

Kyle had glanced between the two of them then smiled at Rhett. "Sorry, man. Didn't realize. I'll let you guys get back to unpacking. Nice to meet you." With a smile and a wave, he eased out of the room. 

Once alone again, Link elbowed Rhett in the side. "What was that about, man? Can't even say hi politely?"

Rhett had just shrugged, turned to the closest box and opened it. Link hadn't seemed to pick up anything in the other alpha's words, but Rhett did. What did Kyle mean by he didn't realize? Didn't realize what? 

By the time classes started a couple days later, Rhett was exhausted. So many new people, people wanting to meet them, meet Link. And of course Link was his typical outgoing self, talking to everyone who so much as smiled at him. Rhett knew he needed to get these feelings under control, but he had no idea how. 

The night before their first class, Rhett begged Link to let them stay in. 

"Please, Link. Can we just stay here tonight? We can order a pizza, watch a movie or something. I'm so tired. It's been a long week with moving and unpacking." His shoulders dropped and head fell a little as he continued, "And you know how stressful it is for me to meet new people. It's not easy for me like it is for you."

Link smiled sympathetically. "Of course, bo. I've got the list of places that deliver in my desk. I'll just grab it so we can decide what we want."

Rhett fell on the couch with a relieved sigh. Link was always prepared. He was going to make the best mate.

Rhett frowned to himself.  _ Mate? _ That wasn't a term he used often. His werewolf side must be leaching into other parts of him as it grew stronger. 

Link plopped down on the couch, so close that another couple inches would have put him in Rhett's lap, and shoved the takeout list in his face. "Here ya go, brother. What sounds good?"

Rhett felt a low grumble building in his throat. He didn't want Link calling him brother anymore. It didn't sit right with him. But without knowing why, he couldn't exactly ask Link to stop. 

Rhett tried to focus on the list in front of him but with Link sitting so close he was all but overwhelmed by Link's scent. And lately all he wanted to do was bury his face in Link's neck and inhale deeply. Even now, he felt his body starting to lean more into Link before he was able to stop himself. Thankfully, they truly had no barriers between them and Link didn't think anything of them sharing personal space. 

"Whatever you want is fine. You're the picky eater," Rhett teased, throwing an arm around Link and shaking him playfully. 

Link pouted and yanked the list back out of Rhett's hand. "Fine, but you don't get to complain about what I pick," he said, leaning back against the couch and further into Rhett. 

His arm now firmly around Link and Link all but snuggled into him, Rhett's heart started racing. What the heck was wrong with him? He'd never had this type of reaction to Link's proximity until recently. He wondered if there was a werewolf club or whatever it would be called on campus. Maybe it was time he talked to someone about all the changes he was going through. 

==========================

The end of the first week of classes had Rhett even more exhausted. He and Link only had a few core classes together. While their majors were similar, they were actually very different and none of those classes were the same. So Rhett spent the classes they had apart trying to focus, but inevitably worried about Link's safety. 

Thankfully, they shared a bedroom and Rhett was able to sleep easy knowing he'd hear or smell any dangers before they got too close. Not that Rhett knew what kind of dangers would be coming for Link, but at this point he stopped trying to make things be logical. 

Link wanted to spend the weekend out, but Rhett convinced him to stay in again. College was quickly proving to be harder than high school, and while Rhett was confident they could handle it, he convinced Link it was better to get in the routine of studying before partying. A fan of routine, Link was easily swayed. 

A little after 10 pm, they silently agreed they were done studying, but not ready for bed. Rhett picked out something for them to watch while Link straightened up and turned off the lights. Rhett took a while to decide, and also took a detour to the bathroom, so Link was already settled on the couch when Rhett sat down beside him and threw an arm around his shoulder. 

His urge for physical contact with Link was growing and he was too tired to fight it. Link giggled and leaned into him. "You've been awfully cuddly lately," he mused, a good natured smile on his face. 

"Have not," Rhett grumbled. "Just been…" He trailed off trying to think of the right word.

"Cuddly," Link confirmed. "But it's okay. I've been kinda homesick this week," he admitted, "but being close to you… You're home to me, too. So it helps," he finished with a shrug. 

Rhett squeezed Link closer for a moment, placing his cheek against Link's head in silent affirmation and pushed play to start the movie. 

They ended up falling asleep leaning against each other. When Link didn't protest, Rhett groggily gathered him to his chest and pulled the blanket off the back of the couch. That's how they slept that night. Link on Rhett's chest, Rhett's arms around Link. Rhett's wolf knew the safest place for Link was in his arms and they all slept peacefully through the night. 

=============================

The second week of classes, clubs and organizations started heavily advertising for new members to join. Because they were all school related, Rhett couldn't convince Link to stay in their dorm outside of class time and he soon gave up trying. 

Thursday of that week, Link went to an evening meeting for beginner filmmakers, something they had both taken an interest in while still in high school. Rhett could have easily gone with Link, but he knew he had been weird and clingy since they had moved in together, so he figured he'd let Link fly solo on this one. 

The meeting didn't start until 8 pm, which meant the sun went down shortly after it began. It was also a full moon, which Rhett hadn't realized at first. Later, when he had realized, he began pacing their room, worried about Link walking home in the dark. His wolf sat closer to the front on nights of the full moon and Rhett figured it was the same for all werewolves. What if one bit Link? What would happen then?

While pacing and worrying, Rhett didn't realize that he had turned into his wolf. His head snapped toward the door when he smelt Link getting close. Link was back! He was safe! Now to get him in the den and bed down, his wolf thought. 

When Link opened the door, Rhett moved on instinct and went to him, grabbing his wrist with his muzzle and pulling him in. Link froze at the contact and Rhett jerked. When he tasted the copper of blood on his tongue, he froze as well. 

Suddenly realizing he was in wolf form, he shifted back to his human form and scrambled for some pants. Link was still frozen in shock. Finally he staggered forward. "Rhett?" he asked questioningly. 

Rhett carefully approached Link as he raised his arm to look at the bite. Seeing the blood on his wrist, he collapsed into Rhett's arms.


	3. Chapter 3

Rhett was freaking out. Sure, Link had passed out at the sight of his own blood before, but he always revived in less than a minute. This time it was like fifteen minutes and when he came to, he was acting drunk and nauseous. Rhett had carried Link to his bed, where Link promptly threw up then fell asleep. 

Rhett scrolled through his phone trying not to panic and figure out who, if anyone, he could call. Then he remembered that he had the number to the leader of the school's "Lone Wolf" chapter, a group for unmated wolves attending N.C. State.Rhett figured it was probably his best bet. He opened up his messenger app and began typing. 

_ Sorry it's late and you don't know me, but I'm an alpha on campus and I think I just bit my roommate.  _

It didn't take long for an answering reply. 

_ Where are you? What's your name? I'm on my way.  _

Rhett quickly typed his response. 

_ Dorm 34, building G. I'm Rhett. My friend's name is Link.  _

Less than a minute passed and he had another reply.

_ I'm Jared. Stay there. 10 minutes.  _

Rhett went and sat on the bed and began stroking Link's hair. He hoped he hadn't made too big a mess of things.

=========================

Rhett could smell the alpha coming and reluctantly left Link's side to get the door. He was met by a man almost as tall as himself and much more filled out. Mid twenties, broad chest, shaggy brown hair. Graduate student, if Rhett was guessing. 

"Jared?" Rhett asked, knowing the likelihood of another unknown alpha outside his door at this time of night was unlikely. 

The man nodded. "Rhett?" When Rhett nodded affirmatively, Jared asked, "Where is he?"

Rhett led him into the bedroom, beginning to growl when Jared started to kneel by the bed. "Calm down. You called me, remember? I'm not here to steal your mate. I just want to check out the bite. See how severe it is." 

Rhett did his best to stand back and let Jared check Link over. When his hand went to Link's face to check his temperature, Rhett couldn't stop the rumble starting in his throat. Jared stood up and turned to Rhett. "Let's go to the common area," he said softly. 

Once the door to the bedroom clicked shut, Jared looked at Rhett, trying to fully assess the situation. "I thought you said the bite was an accident," Jared said, keeping his tone even. 

"It was," Rhett answered, his brow wrinkling in confusion, wondering why he seemed to think otherwise. 

"So you don't want him for your mate?" Jared asked carefully. 

Rhett blinked in surprise. His mate? "Why would I bite him if I wanted him for a mate?"

Jared eyed Rhett with a look bordering on suspicious. "You're an alpha. That means you were born a wolf. Do you not know this?"

Rhett blushed. "My parents are human. They don't know what I am. I don't even know when we last had another wolf in the family."

Jared sighed and gestured to the couch. "Sit down, we have a lot to talk about. Like the fact that 99.9% of the time, when a natural werewolf bites a human, it's to turn them into an omega. Their mate. Nowadays that's not done without a discussion with the human to ensure that's what they want. Otherwise, when their heat hits a week after the bite, you have no guarantee of a claim to them."

Rhett was suddenly stricken with an overwhelming sense of panic. "Wait, Link is going to go into heat? In a  _ week? _ "

Jared nodded. "That means you have a week to get him on the same page as you."

"Same page?" Rhett knew he sounded like an idiot, but his head was swimming with thoughts of Link. In heat. Being his mate.

Jared rolled his eyes. "Keep up. You said the bite was an accident, but you still want him as your mate, right?" When Rhett just blinked at him with a dazed look, he continued. "Does his smell drive you crazy? Do you crave physical contact with him  _ all _ the time? Are you overprotective even when there's no threat nearby?" He narrowed his eyes accusingly at the last question. 

"Hey, you're an unmated alpha!" Rhett said in his defense. And suddenly everything fell into place. Maybe it was the full moon pulling his wolf mind closer to his human's, maybe it was Jared literally spelling it out for him, but it clicked then that when Rhett thought about Link by his side, it wasn't just as his best friend. 

"Yes, I want him as my mate," Rhett whispered, finally answering Jared. 

"Thought so." Jared took a deep breath. "He'll be fine tonight. He should sleep through most, if not all of the transformation. He's gonna feel drunk tomorrow. Hydrate him, keep him home. Text me when he's fit for company and I'll come talk to him. I don't know how close you guys are," he paused and tilted his head, waiting for Rhett to respond. 

"We've been best friends for twelve years. I don't  _ think _ that finding out I want to be with him will be a huge shock, it'll be the whole werewolf thing. And timeline in which he has to make a decision. That's what he's gonna be pissed about," Rhett explained, already picturing the fit Link was going to throw upon learning everything. 

Jared nodded in sympathy. "Well, do everything you can think of to solidify your bond. Sleep in the same bed with him tonight, be as affectionate as possible, if that's not too far outside your norm." Rhett shook his head to indicate that it wasn't. "Maybe his wolf will recognize yours as friendly when the time comes to drop the bomb."

Jared looked at his watch and stood up. "It's getting late. I gotta go. Text me tomorrow."

Rhett nodded and locked the door behind Jared as he left. Link was going to kill him. 

============================

Rhett took Jared's advice and slept beside Link through the night. When Link would start whimpering, he'd hold him tight and whisper that everything was going to be okay. He'd take care of him. He wasn't leaving. He loved him. They told each other they loved one another often enough, but now Rhett's stomach was twisting at the new meaning those words were taking on.

-

As expected, Link woke feeling disoriented and hungover. Rhett instantly woke and pulled Link close when he started to stir and let out strangled moan. 

Link's initial reaction was to snuggle closer into Rhett's chest, but then it seemed to connect where he was. "Rhett?" he asked, tentatively. "Why am I in your bed?"

"Uhhh…" Shit. Why hadn't he thought of an excuse already? "I don't know. My bed is the one you went to sleep in? Then you were tossing around and whining, so I laid down with you. It seemed to help, so I stayed. Hope that was alright."

Link wasn't upset to be waking up in bed with Rhett. Not exactly. Like, he didn't mind  _ sleep _ ing with Rhett, he trusted him implicitly. They don't have personal boundaries and Link's okay with that. Plus, platonic cuddling is highly undervalued, if you ask him. 

_ One _ day, maybe, if Rhett wanted to, he might be open to negotiations for more. But that would never happen. And that's totally irrelevant to his feelings about right now, Link told himself. 

He really didn't want Rhett to leave him, but he wanted to get out of bed even less, so he asked Rhett, "Hey, bo. Do you mind getting me some water?"

Without even thinking, Rhett kissed his forehead. "Of course." He cringed inwardly when he realized what he had done. Link hadn't been upset so far, but he really didn't want to push him before Jared came over. 

Rhett carefully slid out of bed, trying not jostle Link, grabbing his phone on the way out, and went to the kitchen area to get Link a drink. He shot off a quick text while he was alone. 

_ Link is awake. Need to get food in him, so maybe 20 minutes?  _

A quick response of  _ ok _ was all he got. 

He brought Link the water and helped him sit up enough to drink it. Rhett was trying to push down any embarrassment and remember what Jared had said the night before. If Link was willing to be held, he needed to do it. He just hoped Link couldn't feel how hard his heart was beating as he leaned against his chest. 

Once Link was done with the glass, Rhett asked if he wanted to stay in bed or move out to the couch while he made breakfast. Link wanted to use the restroom, so Rhett helped him up, gave him a minute to do what he needed, then settled Link on the couch as he made eggs and toast for breakfast. 

Link had just finished eating when there was a knock at the door. He watched in complete confusion as Rhett nervously made his way to answer it. He wondered again, as he had a lot recently, what was making Rhett so jumpy lately. 

He stayed quiet as Rhett opened the door and a guy almost as tall and twice as wide entered their dorm. His face possibly even more twisted in fear, Rhett turned to him and said, "Link, this is Jared. He's a werewolf. So am I. We need to talk to you."


	4. Chapter 4

Link just stared at the both of them. This guy was a werewolf?  _ Rhett _ was a werewolf? And they  _ both _ needed to talk to him? "Are you guys like together?" was the first thing Link's mouth blurted out. 

The other guy laughed, but Rhett's face filled with horror as he rushed to Link's side and he picked up his hand. "No! No way! I only met Jared last night. He's only here to help fill you in and answer any questions I can't."

"Oh. Okay." Link looked at his hand in Rhett's, watching his thumb idly run over the back of Rhett's hand. "How long have you been one?"

Rhett took a deep breath. "Technically? My whole life, but I only found out within the last year. I think right after my birthday was when I noticed  _ something  _ was different."

Link jerked his hand away in astonishment. " _ A year. _ You've known for almost a  _ year? _ " He couldn't believe Rhett had kept this from him for so long. 

Rhett dropped his head and pulled his hand back to his lap. "I didn't know for  _ sure _ until some time after Christmas. When I really started being able to control my shifting. And…" He hesitated a moment, "when I realized how protective I was getting over you."

Link almost laughed thinking about Rhett's behavior over the last year. "Yeah, what's been up with that? I guess you've been going protective wolf on me?" Link fiddled with the blanket in his lap. "I was kinda starting to think you liked me," he finally said, just above a whisper. 

"And that's where I come in," Jared finally spoke, startling Link, who had forgotten he was there.

"But I thought-" Link started, but Jared cut him off. 

"No, no," Jared said, laughing. "We're both alphas. You never have to worry about me getting between you guys. That would never work."

"Alphas," Link said, trying to remember what he knew about werewolves. "And they mate with betas? Which I'm not, I'm definitely human, so I guess I was wrong about you liking me."

"Here's the thing," Rhett said, looking nervous again. "I bit you last night. In my wolf form."

"Holy shit, that wasn't a dream?" Link asked in disbelief. 

Rhett shook his head. "But it was an accident! No matter what, please remember that!" Rhett insisted. 

"Ooookay," Link said, starting to get nervous himself. "Why?"

"Because, when a natural born werewolf bites a human, that human turns into an omega," Jared explained. 

"And that means, what? I'm going to turn into a werewolf, too?" Link asked. 

"Wellll, yes," Jared said, starting to look a little nervous himself. "The thing about it, is that… except in the instance when an alpha bites his intended by  _ accident _ ," Jared paused to give Rhett a pointed look. "Typically, a wolf speaks with a human and lets them know what's going on and the human makes the decision to be bitten, because an omega is always a submissive werewolf. You will have heats, you will get pregnant, you will be forced by werewolf biology to listen to your alpha."

"So let me get this straight," Link said, trying to follow along. "You're an alpha?" he asked Rhett, who nodded. "Alphas bite humans, who turn into omegas, who become the alpha's submissive mate?" Rhett nodded again. "But you bit me by accident, so you don't really want me to be your mate?"

"Well… that's not entirely true, although I didn't realize it at the time," Rhett said bashfully. 

"What's not true? What didn't you realize? Rhett, you're really confusing me," Link said, getting frustrated. 

"I didn't know when I bit you that I wanted you to be my mate," Rhett said, starting to blush. "I don't know if my wolf did or what, exactly, but I know that last night, before I shifted, I didn't know I was in love with you and I had no plans to bite you. I also didn't know what would happen if I did."

Link took a deep breath. "This is a lot of information."

"There's more," Jared said solemnly. "In a week you'll be going into heat. You  _ will _ breed with someone. Your wolf won't allow otherwise. There are, obviously, other alphas on campus and in the area if you wanted to spend the week looking for someone else, if you don't want Rhett, or Rhett changes his mind about wanting you, but you have to decide what you want, because your decision will be permanent. Only death can break a werewolves mating bond."

"Great. So I have a week to decide if I want to be with this asshole or some stranger," Link grumbled. 

Jared just laughed. "Pretty much. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. 

Link leveled his gaze at Rhett. "You know, the whole accidental bite thing and turning into a werewolf myself, and even being mates," Link said, his voice getting louder as he went on. "I could probably deal with all that because I know you love me. We've always loved each other and we could make that work, I'm sure. But why didn't you  _ tell _ me?

"Almost a year, Rhett," Link continued, his eyes starting to shine with the threat of tears. "Even if you didn't know what was going on right away, why didn't you mention something? And once you did know, did you think you couldn't tell me? That I wouldn't want in on the secret? I used to think we didn't and never would have any secrets between us. Way to fool me, Rhett."

Link got up and staggered his way back to the bedroom, still not completely recovered. All Rhett could do was watch after him as he left the room. 

"So, uh. I guess give Link my number if he has any more questions," Jared said, getting up to leave. "Try to make him rest, keep him fed and hydrated. And good luck."

Rhett stared at the door to his and Link's bedroom. He had fucked up so bad. 

===============================

Link was pacing their bedroom, trying to figure out what he was feeling. It wasn't that he was mad. Well, maybe he was. But he was hurt, too. Why hadn't Rhett trusted him with his secret? He'd have told Rhett if the same had happened to him. At least he was pretty sure. 

And Rhett wanted him to be his mate? Submissive mate. Which, honestly, he always went along with whatever Rhett wanted, so maybe that dynamic wasn't too much different from their normal. But the labeling of it had Link bristling. 

But what choice did he have? He was going to go into heat.  _ Heat _ . Like a dog. Or wolf, he supposed. He was a virgin, but now he knew there was an expiration on that regardless of what he wanted. If it wasn't for Rhett keeping such a big secret from him, he'd have said he wanted to go through something like that with Rhett instead of a stranger any day. Because he trusts Rhett. 

But should he? Does Rhett trust him? Obviously not, if he kept this from him for almost a  _ year.  _

Link took some deep breaths to try to steady his out of control thoughts and became flooded with Rhett's scent. He smelled  _ so good.  _ Without thinking he moved over to Rhett's bed and laid down, burying his face in Rhett's pillow and inhaling deeply. 

Realizing what he was doing, Link groaned. What was he going to do? 

-

On the other side of the door, Rhett was making his own mental laps.

He needed to get Link to forgive him. Even if the extent of his feelings were a new revelation, the thought of Link with another alpha filled Rhett with an indescribable rage. He'd kill anyone who tried to take Link away, he thought, his wolf bubbling up. 

Rhett shook his head to clear it. If Link ended up with another alpha, it would be because he made the decision to take a different mate. It would be Rhett's fault for not being upfront from the beginning. He would still fight for Link until the end. His wolf assured him of that. 

In the meantime, he had a week. A week to prove his worth as a mate and remind Link of why they had stayed friends for so long. Why they had vowed to do something big  _ together.  _ And why they still should. 


	5. Chapter 5

Rhett waited for Link to come out of their room, but when he still hadn't emerged a few hours later, he decided he needed to find a peace offering to bring to Link. He made Link a sandwich, grabbed a Mellow Yellow, and gently tapped on the door. 

There was no answer, so he slowly opened it and peered into the room. Link was passed out, sprawled on Rhett's bed. Rhett felt his heart swell in his chest. It had to be a good thing that Link fell asleep in  _ his _ bed, right? 

Rhett placed his offering on the floor by the door and went to lay down on the couch. Rhett's wolf had wanted to climb into bed with Link, snuggle with his mate, but Rhett wasn't sure Link would appreciate that, so decided to leave him be until they talked again, even if his wolf bristled at that. Despite wanting to stay up and wait for Link, the stress of the last day had Rhett falling asleep faster than expected. 

-

Link woke to his stomach rumbling and the smell of Rhett engulfing him. For the second time that day he found himself waking up in Rhett's bed. As he rolled out of bed and went to go get something to eat, he saw the sandwich Rhett had left him and smiled. As upset as he was at Rhett for lying to him, Link knew he could always count on Rhett to take care of him. 

_ Like a good mate, _ his newly awakened inner wolf prodded, taking Link by surprise. He knew what Jared had said about him being a werewolf now, but he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly and for him to feel it so strongly. 

Link wondered if his wolf knew something he didn't or if it was just responding to the fact that Rhett was his best friend and they had already spent most of their lives together. He wondered if he could convince Rhett into letting him talk to Jared again. 

After finishing his sandwich, Link needed to relieve himself, so he slipped out of the bedroom. Seeing Rhett asleep on the couch made his wolf chant  _ matematemate _ at him. He was pretty sure that was going to get annoying. He wanted to be mad at Rhett, not have an inner beast telling him how much he wanted Rhett. 

When he stepped out of the bathroom, Rhett had woken up and was stretching on the couch. When he saw Link standing there, he blinked at him with an owlish look for a minute before saying, "Oh. Hey, Link."

"Hey," Link said, quickly averting his eyes. "Do you think you could text Jared, or give me his number? I-I have more questions for him."

Internally, Rhett's wolf was bristling at who he saw as  _ mate _ wanting to reach out to another alpha. Logically, Rhett knew that Link was just upset with him and that he probably wouldn't be able to answer his questions anyway. So he just nodded and handed Link his phone. 

He hoped,  _ if _ Link ended up willing to accept him as his mate, that some of the jealousy would die down. That his wolf would chill out and accept the bond as proof that he didn't need to stress so much anymore. Maybe he should see if Jared had time to talk, too.

Link grabbed Jared's number out of Rhett's phone and handed it back, they're fingers softly grazing. Link felt a jolt shoot up his arm. What surprised him the most was that it wasn't of electricity or lust or anything cliché like that, but of recognition and warmth-like love. 

"Thanks," he mumbled and rushed back to their bedroom. 

Sitting back on his bed, he sent Jared a text.

_ Hey, this is Link. I was wondering if you were free later to talk again? Or if maybe you knew any omegas who could help me out?  _

He worried his lip, practically able to feel Rhett pacing anxiously in the common room, as he waited for a response. After what felt like forever, but was probably only five minutes, he felt his phone vibrate in his hand. 

_ Yeah, might know someone. I'll let you know.  _

Link sighed and flopped back on the bed. He didn't want to sleep anymore, but he didn't especially want to go out and have to talk with Rhett, either. Not yet, anyway. While trying to figure out what to do, his phone buzzed.

_ 755-634-0072 Her name is Sherri and she's an omega. She's expecting your text. _

Link sent a thank you to Jared and then text Sherri. He got an almost immediate response. She was free in twenty minutes. 

Rhett was still pacing when Link left the bedroom to head out to meet Sherri. "I'm sorry," Rhett offered as soon as Link had opened the door. "I-"

Link shook his head. "I'm going out. Not really ready to talk about this with you yet."

Rhett visibly swallowed. "To go see Jared?" The anxiety, irritation, and jealousy clearly written all over his face. 

"I've gotta talk to somebody." Link didn't want to lie, but he didn't mind giving Rhett an ambiguous answer and let him stew in his own emotions a little longer. 

Rhett's face fell. "When do you think you'll be back?"

"I don't know, Rhett, but I gotta go."

"Let me know if you'll be back for dinner?" Rhett asked, his eyes flickering with hope. 

Link's eyes softened. "I'll text you later."

Rhett just nodded as Link walked out of the dorm.

=====================

Sherri spotted him right away as he walked into the student center. Fortunately, it being a Friday afternoon, it was pretty empty. Still, Link quickly made his way over to the smiling werewoman.

"So, I hear you've been recently turned," she said as Link took his seat.

Link shifted nervously. "Yeah. I'm kinda freaked out about it. Especially since I didn't even know my best friend was a werewolf until this morning."

"Oof. I can only imagine." Sherri's face was full of sympathy. "I had known my girlfriend was a were for quite a while when she finally agreed to change me. Is this guy your mate, at least? Or was it a complete freak accident?"

"Well…" Link began, glancing away in embarrassment. "It was kind of a freak accident. And we've never really talked about being together or  _ feelings  _ or anything, but he told me that now he's realized he  _ does _ want me for his mate."

"And how do you feel about that?" Sherri urged. 

"I'm not opposed?" He gave her a confused smile. "I've known him for thirteen years. I definitely love him. It's more the sudden change and having to make a decision  _ now _ than it is about being with him. And not knowing what to expect. That's a big part of it." 

Sherri gave a small laugh. "I knew what to expect and it was still overwhelming. 

So skipping over the who for now, do you know anything about the mating and bonding process?"

"No?" Link answered sheepishly. 

"Well, first you'll go into heat. You'll be achy hot, skin crawling and generally uncomfortable," Sherri explained. "The first time it happens you'll be searching for a mate. If you can hear your inner wolf, it usually has an opinion. That said, if there are other, stronger alphas around, you may get stuck with whoever is able to control you and beat any challengers."

"Control me… So the rumors about alphas being able to control 'lesser' wolves is true?" Link asked. 

Sherri nodded. "To an extent, yes. It's more about an alpha's natural ability to be dominant and a beta or omega's natural inclination to be submissive. If your chosen alpha isn't typically controlling, that's not going to change. I guess you're slightly more susceptible to what's referred to as the 'alpha voice,' but again, betas and omegas are naturally submissive so I wouldn't say for certain it's a true control. You can still rebel against it."

"So another alpha won't be able to force me to mate with them if I don't want to?" Link asked, looking for clarification. 

"Welll…" Sherri chewed on her tongue. "When you're in heat it's much harder to say no, especially the first time. Once a mating claim has been made you and your wolf will be mad at another alpha trying to take you, but initially you just want the heat to stop, which means taking an alpha knot and being bred. 

"So pretty much your body will be begging for it. You won't have much control over it. Another reason to be holed up somewhere with your intended. There's unwritten rules about breaking and entering to get to a wolf in heat, but if you're out in the open and not claimed, you're kinda seen as fair game."

"Oh, crap." Realization suddenly crossed Link's face. "I kinda knew that some male weres could get pregnant, but I didn't even think about the knot and how it physically happens. Does it hurt?" Concern and slight panic started to overtake him. "I've never even…"

"Don't worry too much," Sherri assured him with a smile. "You're body has changed to accommodate that. Your anal passage will now self lubricate when aroused and be more flexible than before. Being a female, I don't know all the changes male omegas go through to make everything possible, but I'm confident that it will be a pleasant experience."

"Self lubricating, huh?" Link pondered that for a moment. "Well that part sounds convenient, at least," he chuckled. "So, what, you get knotted and what happens then?"

"So, the alpha knotting you releases hormones, pheromones, whatever, that slightly changes your scent and they will bite you on the side of your neck to allow your new mated scent to flow out and let everyone know you're claimed," she explained. "Emotionally, you'll be better able to sense your mate's feelings, even when you're not physically near each other. It's not flawless, but it's pretty cool."

"That does sound pretty neat," Link agreed. "But what if you don't want your mate knowing how you feel? Can you block it off?"

"You can, but I'd caution against that," Sherri said. "Just like in a human relationship, lack of communication will stifle your bond. And a broken bond makes a wolf sick and will eventually kill them."

"Okay, good to know," Link said, wide eyed.

Sherri glanced at her phone. "Listen, I'm heading out for the weekend and I'm sure I haven't answered everything for you, but text me and I'll do my best to help."

"Yeah, if course. You've already given me so much to think about. Thank you," Link said, standing as Sherri gathered her things. 

"No problem at all. Glad I could be of help." She gave Link a friendly smile. "Remember, don't be afraid to text. I'll see you next week."

Link gave a small smile and nodded his head in goodbye. It was only 4pm, so he sent Rhett a text saying he'd have dinner with Rhett in a couple hours if he still wanted to. Rhett replied to be back at the dorm by 7. Link headed to the library to see if he could maybe find out some more about werewolves and try to think about what he wanted to say to Rhett when he saw him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow I've got my last kinktober prompt and by the end of the week I'll hopefully have the next chapter of Banjos and Brothels. This one scene is just kicking my butt. Come message me on tumblr @outofnowhere82 and tell me it'll be okay 💖


End file.
